Fire damages home near Purdy

A home on Farm Road 2085 near Purdy was significantly damaged by fire and smoke on Dec. 22. Although two small dogs perished in the blaze, no residents were injured in the fire.

"A neighbor who noticed smoke coming from the area of the residence called 911 when he arrived to find the source of the smoke being the home," said Mike Redshaw, Purdy Fire Protection District fire chief. "He managed to make entry into the home to make sure no one was inside. The owner and his wife were both at work and not at home at the time of the call.

The neighbor called Barry County E-911 to report the fire at 10:30 a.m. Firefighter were dispatched at 10:33 a.m. and arrived on scene at 10:49 a.m.

"When firefighters arrived, they found a heavy amount of smoke coming from the structure," said Redshaw. "An offensive, interior attack was made through the basement access and the front door, with fire being found in both areas.

"The heaviest amount of fire was found along the ceiling in a hidden area between the ceiling and the metal roof," said Redshaw. "A significant amount of fire was also found in the loft area of the second floor."

Nearly a dozen Purdy Fire Protection District firefighters responded to the scene with three firefighting vehicles. The Purdy Fire District was assisted by firefighters from the Butterfield Fire Protection District, the City of Monett Fire Department, the Monett Rural Fire Department and the Jenkins Fire District. Ambulances were also dispatched to the scene.

Firefighters extinguished the fire and cleared the scene by 12:39 p.m.

"The fire started on the covered front porch where the owners kept firewood in a rack," said Redshaw. "The fire then burned through the ceiling of the front porch into the hidden space between the ceiling material and the roof. Additional fire burned through the sill plate between the first floor and the basement, causing the fire to spread into the basement and first floor."

A Missouri Division of Fire Safety investigator assisted with the fire investigation. The blaze as ruled accidental.